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From: jeffw@midas.TEK.COM (Jeff Winslow)
Newsgroups: rec.audio,sci.physics,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Mercury Filled Speaker Wire
Message-ID: <1924@midas.TEK.COM>
Date: Tue, 22-Sep-87 01:50:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: midas.1924
Posted: Tue Sep 22 01:50:24 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Sep-87 01:15:09 EDT
References: <3816@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> <578@uthub.toronto.edu>
Reply-To: jeffw@midas.UUCP (Jeff Winslow)
Distribution: rec
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 50
Xref: mnetor rec.audio:3370 sci.physics:2240 sci.electronics:1392

I even put a little real physics in...

In article <1741@crash.CTS.COM> bblue@crash.CTS.COM (Bill Blue) writes:
>In article <1222@pinney.munsell.UUCP> pac@pinney.UUCP (Paul Czarnecki) writes:
>>
>>Why must you use stranded cable?  I realize the mechanical
>>difficulties in using a solid core cable but are there any electrical
>>problems?

>I believe the big problem with large gauge solid conductor cable is
>skin effect related.  The diameter is simply too large for reasonable
>handling of high frequencies...

Maybe. But remember that, unless the strands are insulated from each other
(as in Litz wire) the current distribution in a stranded conductor will be
very similar to that in the same sized solid conductor. And even in Litz
wire, proximity effect will tend to push the current to the surface of the
wire to some degree.

I'm not sure what you mean by "too large for reasonable handling of high
frequencies". The larger the wire, the more surface it has to conduct HF
current, and the smaller the impedance at *any* audible frequency as
compared to the speaker impedance. The larger the better, skin effect or
no (assuming you have plenty of room for cables!). 

I'd be curious to know how you routed the cables. Stranded wire, being
more flexible than the same diameter solid wire, would make it easier
to minimize the loop area (hence inductance) in the cable. This seems
more likely the cause of the problem than any magic involving solid
and uninsulated stranded, to me. (Of course, I wasn't there.)

>It always has struck me rather funny when engineer types (not recording
>but electronics) go into long dissertations on how we audiophiles can't
>be hearing differences in so-and-so cables, or capacitors, or resistors,
>or (gasp) power supplies, and spout streams of numbers and other
>specifications that 'prove' such things don't apply to audio
>frequencies.  Years later though, when it becomes generally accepted
>that such things do in fact make audible differences, the same engineers
>not only agree that these things do make a difference, but can spout
>reasons why.

In the meantime, you have forgotten about the things that you *thought*
made a difference at one time, and have turned out, in fact, to make no
difference, for the reasons given by the electronics engineers. Everybody
remembers the exceptions - the times when the experts were wrong. Who
remembers when the experts were right? Shucks, that's not news. Wonder
why?

			Jeff Winslow
			"Hit him again!!!!" - Elektra/Strauss